


Her Price

by MadameC



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, Family Fluff, Fluff, Mother-Daughter Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-09 08:08:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17403230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadameC/pseuds/MadameC
Summary: What if Diana never came to Sabrina when Leticia cried out? What if Sabrina offered herself, an orphan, to go with Gryla in Leticia's stead?





	1. Sabrina's Proposal

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! This is my first work of fanfiction on this site. All of the dialogue in the first paragraph is taken directly from the show, and all rights are reserved to Netflix and whoever else owns Sabrina. No copyright infringement intended, of course.

“Gryla from the mountains, if I give you entrance to this house do you swear to abide by its rules and customs?” Zelda cautiously asked from behind the frosted glass of the doorway. “I do,” Gryla replied. As Zelda fully swung the door open and invited her inside, Gryla crossed the threshold of the Spellman residence. Making her way through the room and into the next, she was met with Hilda, the younger of the two Spellman sisters, standing beside a table of sweets and treats. Looking upon them disdainfully, she probed, “Why do you summon me, witches?” “To take your children home,” Zelda explained in an even voice. “Oh, is this where my Yule Lads have gotten to?” Gryla questioned, already knowing the answer. Neither Zelda nor Hilda answered, but left the silence to answer the obvious. “What can you offer me in exchange?” As Hilda listed off the various confections she whipped up for Gryla, Gryla inquired instead, “Do you have any gin?” Hilda looked back at Zelda while Zelda apprehensively said, “Yes, I believe we do.” Gryla, momentarily satisfied, said, “Then drink with me, sisters.” After the drinks were poured and distributed, the three witches sat down and sipped on their drinks. Zelda sat, hoping that Gryla would soon leave and not find out that Sabrina, a floor down, was secretly harboring Leticia. She knew that if Gryla did find out about Leticia, she would try to take her due to her status as an orphan. Just as Gryla was about to call her Yule Lads out and leave, a sharp cry resounded through the house. Gryla, shocked yet pleased, turned to Zelda and said, “You have a baby here?”

Zelda, face tensed and skin pale, watched as Gryla headed to the source of the sound. “Wait! I will fetch her,” Zelda quickly exclaimed. She briskly walked past Gryla and went down the stairs in the foyer to the embalming room. Sabrina looked panicked, even though she had returned the pacifier to Leticia’s mouth and had stopped her from crying out again. “Auntie, I’m so sorry. The pacifier dropped and…” Sabrina rapidly explained. Zelda held up her hand, which instantly made Sabrina cease talking. “Gryla has heard, it does not matter now. Come back upstairs, there is no point in trying to hide her anymore,” Zelda quietly explained. With a defeated look on Zelda’s face and an anxiety filled look on Sabrina’s, the two Spellman women headed up the stairs with Leticia still nestled in Sabrina’s arms. They slowly paced back to where Gryla and Hilda were, not sure what was going to happen next. “So this is the child you tried to keep hidden from me,” Gryla lightly chided, with a look of malevolent glee on her face. Zelda looked at her but said nothing. “Give it to me, Zelda Spellman, or I will take it. Make no mistake. It is only fair.” Zelda, with a look of guarded despair on her face and a damp sheen veiling her eyes, turned to Sabrina to take the babe. She knew there was nothing she could do now that Gryla knew about Leticia. As Sabrina carefully handed Leticia to her auntie, she made up her mind. She would offer to go with Gryla, at least for a bit of time, in exchange for her aunt’s happiness.

Sabrina knew those that called her selfish were right, her aunt being one of them. She tried to right wrongs, of course, but in the end they were for her own selfish reasons motivated dominantly by her own interests. Look at Tommy and the mess she made as a result of trying to “fix” the situation. She had to think of someone else other than herself. The season of Christmas, though a mortal holiday, was about giving. She knew that. This was a price she was willing to pay for her aunt’s, the closest thing she had to a mom’s, happiness. She knew that when she told Zelda she was not her mother, she was lying to Zelda and herself. Of course, she was not her mother biologically, but she fulfilled every need that a mother usually provided. Zelda was not perfect, but she gave Sabrina all the love that she could ever want, even if it was veiled in strict rules and a stoic persona. Sabrina knew that now, and it was time to repay the love that her aunt gave her that she had not rightfully returned.

As she handed Leticia to Zelda, she stepped forward ahead of Zelda and said to Gryla “I have a proposition for you in exchange for letting Leticia stay here.” Zelda, stepping in immediately, whispered, “Sabrina, what in Satan’s name are you doing?” Gryla, intrigued, magically silenced Zelda and made her freeze in her spot, only leaving her arms free to move. Sabrina glanced back and saw Zelda hand Leticia to Hilda after motioning her over and struggle against her binds, trying to get to Sabrina. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth was moving at a rapid pace but no words were emerging forth. Hilda now spoke up, seeing as her sister could not: “Sabrina, darling, what are you…” As Hilda began, not wanting to deal with the interference, Gryla did the same to her as Zelda. “My goodness, your aunts sure love to talk, don’t they?” Gryla chuckled lightly. Sabrina knew she had to word her deal carefully to ensure that her aunts and Leticia were safe, along with making sure the Yule Lads were gone from the house.

Her body trembled but her voice was firm. “I want to make a deal, Gryla” Sabrina said boldly. “I am an orphan, like Leticia. Both of my parents were killed; I am alone in the world. I want to go with you. Take me with you and in exchange, leave Leticia and my aunties alone forever. Bring your Yule Lads with you too. That is my price. I’ll stay with you as long as you want. You could have an already full-grown witch at your disposal to be your companion. You’ve done enough raising of children. Just leave Leticia with my aunties.” Sabrina knew the lie that came with her speech, but she would submit to them for the sake of her aunt, her mom in every way that counted. She didn’t dare look back at either of her aunties, for she knew they would make her break. 

“What an interesting proposal you have, Sabrina Spellman. Most of my children are still quite young. It would be… different to have an older child around. To converse with. Hmm. Yes, I will accept your offer. In exchange for you, I will leave the babe here and take the Yule Lads, your new siblings, with me as we go.” “Can you do me a favor? Leave my aunts frozen until we leave and are far way. I..I want to say goodbye but I need to go with you. I can’t have them try to stop me,” Sabrina’s now trembling voice rang out. “Whatever you wish, child. Come along Lads. We will wait outside, Sabrina. Do not make me come back in to find you.” As Gryla exited the room, taking her children with her, Sabrina turned back around, body trembling and tears starting to leak from her eyes at the thought of leaving her aunts and possibly never seeing them again. But she had to do this, she thought. She could not back down now.

Looking first at Hilda, tears were running down her face in torrents and sobs were ripping from her mouth, even though they could not be heard. She had to put Leticia on the ground because her eyes were being blinded by her tears and she needed to wipe them. Though she was trying to form words, her weeping prevented her from doing so. Not that they would have been heard anyway, Sabrina thought. Not yet looking at Zelda because she was saving that goodbye, the hardest one, for last. She walked over to Hilda and pulled her into a hug. Hilda tightly wrapped her arms around Sabrina, probably a bit too tightly, trying to make her stay with them by trapping her in her embrace. She may have not been the brightest or the strictest, but she that did not mean she did not love Sabrina less than anyone else in the house did. Sabrina could feel the puffs of breath on her neck where her aunt had buried her face, not sure if it was words, sobs, labored breathing, or any combination of the three. 

Now was the time for the final goodbyes, at least the last in the foreseeable future. She would try to find her way back to her aunties, but Gryla had power that she did not and could make her stay forever if she wanted. The final the goodbyes could not be reciprocated, not only because her aunts physically couldn’t since due to the effects of Gryla’s spell, but because they wouldn’t let it happen in the first place if they had the capability to prevent it, no matter what the cost. 

“Auntie Hilda,” Sabrina started, voice and body trembling nearly as much as her aunt’s, “I love you so much, okay? Don’t forget that. You’ve been the best auntie a girl could ever hope for. Now you get to love someone else in my stead.” Hilda shook her head against Sabrina’s and held on even tighter. “Auntie, I am doing this for you and Zelda. I can see how much happiness the baby brings you guys and I… I want to return the favor of always having to come to my rescue. You’ll get a new chance to raise someone, probably less troublesome than I was,” Sabrina tried to joke but was only met with more silent sobs from her aunt. “You’re the sweetest person I know with a big heart. Just because I leave doesn’t mean that that has to change, right? I love you auntie. Please tell Ambrose I love him too.” After kissing her on the cheek, Sabrina had to pry Hilda off of her, taking the arms that were around her body and forcing them from her person. As she stepped away, Hilda tried to reach out to her but could not move towards her, as she was still stuck and silenced. Not being able to bare the sight of her aunt grasping for her anymore, she knew she had to now turn to Zelda.

What she was met with was not what she was expecting. There were no tears streaking her face, but only a sheen of wetness in her eyes along look of seeming anger and lips pursed so tightly that they were barely visible. Not just a normal look of anger, but one so piercing and so apparent that Sabrina almost took a step back. She tentatively approached her aunt. Standing about a foot and a half in front of her, she started speaking with her head down towards the ground, twiddling with her thumbs: “Auntie, I know that you’re mad at me for making this decision and I’m sorry. But you have to know that I am doing this for you. Leticia makes you so happy, more happy than I can remember you being. I don’t want to take that away from you when I can do something to prevent it. You have been backing me up for years, protecting me, and now it is time that I do the same for you. I…” Sabrina stopped when she saw movement in her peripheral.

She looked up from where she was staring at the floor and saw the Zelda had fallen to her knees, her façade fallen and her emotions coming out in a torrent. Sabrina’s tears started anew at the sight of her aunt all but convulsing on the floor, hands over her face and body heaving. Quickly getting down to her knees, her aunt looked up with a face that held nothing but torment and utter agony. Her hair, always so in place, was messily strewn around her head and her face was completely covered in the saltiness of her tears, the thick black mascara she wore every day running down her face. Her mouth was contorted in sobs that she tried so hard to stop but could not. Reaching out for Sabrina, Zelda pulled her towards her and held on to her more tightly than Sabrina could ever remember. 

Zelda’s trembling and gasping for air was making Sabrina’s body tremble, so much so that she was afraid her aunt was going to hyperventilate. Trying to form words, the last words she possibly would ever say to her aunt, she started, “Auntie, I know I’ve never said this, but I was wrong that night we were arguing about Tommy. I told you that you weren’t my mother, but you are. You are in every way that counts and I’m sorry I didn’t recognize that or tell you that sooner. But now you get to have Leticia and she can be the daughter that I failed to be for so long. I am so sorry for everything. But I love you so much and I am doing this for you. It’s my time to do something for you that makes you happy instead of stressed or worried or mad. Just make sure to tell Leticia about crazy cousin Sabrina, okay? You’ll be happier…” 

At this, her aunt, body still shaking, pulled back her face from where it was lodged in Sabrina’s neck. She was shaking her head and mouthing the word “no” over and over again, sending her into another fit of sobs. Zelda, though, knew she could do nothing to break herself free of the magic that held her nor, as a result, stop Sabrina from leaving her. Stroking her aunts head and kissing her on the forehead, she quietly said, “Goodbye.” Standing up and stepping back from Zelda’s crumpled form, she turned around swiftly before her aunts could make it any harder to leave. She felt her aunt’s hand brush her foot but could not turn back around. She couldn’t. Right as she started walking to the door, Gryla stepped through.


	2. The Road Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! I am so sorry it took so long to finally get this out, but here it is! I hope you all like it. As before, everything Sabrina belongs to Netflix and the amazing person who created Sabrina in the first place. No copyright infringement intended.

Gryla stepped through the door, an impatient look on her face. “Sabrina, it is time to go now. My Yule Lads will not wait any longer for you. Come.” Gesturing her forward with her hand, Sabrina walked over to Gryla but could not look back at her aunties. Her resolve was barely holding together, and if she turned around even for a second it would just completely crumble into nothing. Gathering her jacket from where she had hung it earlier, she wrapped herself up in the scarlet garment and headed out into the cold night, Gryla taking the lead. Feeling the wetness still against her face as the wind whipped against it, she wiped her tears from her cheeks before Gryla took notice of them. Walking slightly behind Gryla, Sabrina turned around for a moment and through the woods could see the warm glow that emanated from the Spellman house and the smoke that came from the chimney. Eyes slightly tearing up again, she quickly turned back around and quickly paced to where Gryla was slightly ahead of her.

As they walked to a destination unknown to Sabrina, the chilliness of the night was ripping through her jacket and resonating in her body. Her teeth started chattering so loudly that Gryla noticed. Stopping for a second, she murmured a spell that made Sabrina instantly warm up. Giving Sabrina a knowing look, Gryla said, “Yes, the mountains do get cold at night, especially in the midwinter season. But we are witches, of course. I will have to teach you the spell so that you do not freeze when I am not with you.” Surprised but relieved that Gryla would consider her body temperature, she trekked on easier since her limbs were now less frozen and stiffened.

Hearing the laughter of the Yule Lads, Gryla slightly smiled and turned her head towards Sabrina while still walking. “You know, I do hope that you find happiness in your new home. My Yule Lads have. Going from having no one to having a family is surely a great joy, even for those that are no longer children.” Slightly smiling back to Gryla, Sabrina internally sighed. How could Gryla think she would be happier with her? Oh right, she thought, it was because of what she told her. How she was alone and not happy. She hoped that she communicated to her aunts well enough that she did not mean what she said but was only saying that for their sakes. After walking for what seemed like hours in the cold forest, they finally arrived at what looked like grey tarp draped over some sort of internal foundation, making a structure that crudely resembled a house.

“Well child, here is your new residence. Step inside.” Sabrina, not having much hope for Gryla’s indoor design skills, slowly approached the flap of the little enclosure that was being slightly blown open by the wind. Grabbing it, she crossed the threshold and gasped. Inside, the little house was about five times as big as it did from the outside. There was also a fire going to stave off the heat of the winter, which created a warm glow from what she could only otherwise see as a prison cell she trapped herself in.

In front of the fire set an antique looking couch with a wooden coffee table sitting in front of it. Along the sides of what seemed to be the living area, there were doors leading to other rooms, of which Sabrina could only wonder what was inside at the moment. Gryla stepped up next to her, smirked at her expression, and offered her a bedroom: “I am sure you are tired from today. Come, see your new room.” Leading the way to one of the doors, Gryla opened it and stepped inside. Inside the room was bare but sufficient. There was a four-poster bed, with the bedding dark green, a wooden dresser, and a bedside table with a candle burning on it. Next to the bed that was pushed up against the wall was a window that let the moonlight in, along with giving Sabrina a look at the snowy forest that surrounded her.

Gryla looked at Sabrina, nodded her head goodnight, and let her alone. Finally in solitude, Sabrina laid down on her bed and let a few tears trickle from her eyes. She had to keep telling herself that this was for her aunties. It was for them, not for her. That was the important thing here. She couldn’t help but miss them already, even if she had been gone less than a day. She missed Hilda’s warm hugs and marvelous cooking. She missed the way she would always use pet names and would always greet her with them whenever she came down for breakfast in the morning.

She also missed Zelda. Thinking about her, a small sob let out of her mouth. She was definitely the one who liked to abide by the rules, but Sabrina had seen time and time again when she would break them for her family, for her. Her rules, though, were always to protect Sabrina because she couldn’t see her make the same mistakes that she did and get hurt because of it. She loved Sabrina too much for that, more than anything. Sabrina loved her back, too. So much that it hurt her to think about her auntie. She truly hoped that her aunties could get on with their lives if she were to never return to them. Her heart told her she was wrong, but she held on to that small sense of hope for her aunties as she drifted off to sleep, still in her clothes and tear tracks lining her face.

Waking up, Sabrina sat up quickly and looked around, not recognizing where she was. Oh yeah, she thought, I remember. She looked out the window beside her and saw the sun’s rising just breaking the skyline of the forest. She figured it was probably around 7:15, if she knew anything about regular sunrise times in the winter. Lying back down for a few minutes before she faced the day, her resolve to deal with the situation strengthened. She had to accept that she could not escape, and even if she did Gryla would surely come looking for her when she did. Being a dangerous witch, she could hurt her aunties and that would make her own sacrifice one in vain.

Sabrina finally decided to get up from her bed and head into the next room, where she was sure Gryla was already up. Sure enough, she was sitting on the old couch in front of the fireplace, light casting off her face from the flames. When Sabrina came within her eyesight, her gaze snapped over to her. “Good morning, child. Please, come sit next to me.” Gryla evenly said. Sabrina hesitantly took a seat next to Gryla on the couch, turning slightly to her as she sat down. “I am leaving for a bit today to gather some berries and such. I also have some unfinished business to attend to with a warlock in Riverdale. I should be back by nightfall. Over in the kitchen, there are some fruits and dried meats you can masticate if you wish to do so.”

“Thank you,” Sabrina said mundanely. With that, Gryla nodded to her and got up off the sofa and headed out the flap of the structure without another word. Sighing, Sabrina stared into the fire. It reminded her of the fireplace in her own home, which was intricately ornamented and full of warmth, literally and figuratively. Soaking up the heat for a few more minutes, she headed over to where the small kitchen was. It had what looked like an old-fashioned ice box, along with a small pan that sat overtop another container filled with sticks. This must be the stove, Sabrina thought. She humorously laughed and reached for a piece of fruit that was on the table. Looking around the place a bit more, she discovered a bookshelf filled not with spell books, but old mortal literary classics. Sitting down with _The Crucible_ , she opened the book and began reading, pages lit with the light emanating from the fireplace.

What must have been many hours later, Gryla returned from her duties. Looking for Sabrina, she found her curled up on the couch sleeping with the novel still on her chest. Heading over towards her, Sabrina bolted up when she heard the creak of the floorboards near her. She spotted Gryla and calmed down a bit, giving her a small smile. Gryla gave her one back, and began to inquire about Sabrina’s day and what she did. Having nothing to show for herself besides the unfinished book, she turned the question around on Gryla and asked it of herself out of politeness. Though Sabrina did not know it, this moment planted the seed for a tentative but true companionship to grow between the two. Even though Sabrina could never be truly happy without her aunts, having someone with her made the despair that constantly loomed over her lessen.

 

………..

 

Days passed by, and then weeks. By now, Sabrina had learned to forage for her own food, had learned the layout of the near surrounding forest, and had a small kindling of a friendship with Gryla grow within her chest. Though she was adapting to the life Gryla lived in the middle of the woods, adapting was all she was doing. Living, on the other hand, was another subject. Didn’t living involve joy and freedom? Sure, she experienced joy when she finished a book or bit into a juicy piece of fruit, but that was not the same type of joy as sitting around the fire with her aunties, listening to Ambrose read _A Christmas Carol_ during the Yule season. And yes, she could wander around the forest, but she could never go to where she truly wanted, which was home to the Spellman house. The joy and freedom she experienced were artificial compared to those that she had with her family at home. She tried not to think of them too often in the hope of not upsetting herself too often, but their faces popped up in her mind unwarranted and she could not help but tear up a little. The time Gryla noticed her sadness was the one that saved Sabrina from it in the end.

Now friendly enough with each other that they spoke openly to each other about most things, Gryla inquired, “Child, why are you crying? Are you not happy enough here? Surely you are happier then when at home, are you not?” Turning to look Gryla in the face, she finally decided to spill the truth about her coming. “Gryla, I have to be honest with you. I did not come here because I was not happy. I lied about that. I just didn’t want you to take Leticia. You see, she made my aunties really happy and I wanted to do something for them that was unselfish. I had been pretty selfish when it came to my family and their feelings, so I thought I should do something for them back. It was a really last minute decision on my part, but I am glad I did it if it could make them happy. Even if I am not happy now.”

Sabrina looked at Gryla and was surprised by the shock on her face, along with a little bit of hurt at the deception of it all. Gryla began in a quiet but firm voice, “Sabrina, if I knew you were happy at home I would have never taken you, orphan or not. I don’t want any child to be unhappy, let alone you.”

Sabrina looked up at her, hope written on her face. “So are you really saying…?”

Gryla looked a little bit somber but slightly smiled and replied, “Yes Sabrina, I am going to let you go home. Even though you lied to me and let me take you, you did it selflessly. Tomorrow I will return you to the Spellman residence.” She sighed. “I have to admit, though, your company has proven… comforting. I will miss your presence, child.”At this, Sabrina thought for a minute. She concluded, “Well, Gryla, you could visit if you wanted to. You know where I live now so you could come for holidays and some weekends. I’m sure my aunties will be so grateful you let me come home they won’t mind. If they do, I’ll convince them.” She stopped here, looked down at her folded hands, and said a little quieter, “I think I’ll miss you too, Gryla. I… I haven’t been happy here if I am being honest. But you’ve made it more bearable than if I would have been alone. So…. thank you.”

Sabrina looked back up at Gryla, who had a small smile on her face and was that… wetness in her eyes? Sabrina could not help herself. She reached over to Gryla and pulled the ancient witch into a hug. Gryla initially was too startled to reciprocate it but once she got her bearings, she tightly enfolded Sabrina in her arms.The rest of their last night together, they sat in front of the fire and talked, basking in the heat of the flickering flames that warmed their skin in the otherwise chilly air of the winter season.

 

………..

 

They arrived just at the edge of the woods by the Spellman house at the crack of dawn. Gryla chose to stay back, not wanting to upset Sabrina’s aunts with her probably unwelcome presence. Sabrina did insist, though, that Gryla come back to visit sometime after her she explained Gryla’s kindness to her aunties.

Sabrina did still have her house key, which was one of the few possessions she took with her. It was an accident really, as she left her house key in her jacket pocket that she took the night she left. How long ago was it now? Sabrina tried to think. Probably about a month, she concluded. When she came in from the chilly air of the brisk morning, she expected to see her Aunt Hilda cooking up some delicious breakfast and her Aunt Zelda sitting at the kitchen table smoking a cigarette and looking at a foreign newspaper like always. But no, as she came into the kitchen everything was still dark and cold. No sounds could be heard and there was no light besides that coming in from the windows. Seeing as no one was up yet, she crept upstairs to her aunts’ room. Oh wait, it was just Zelda’s room now. Hilda had moved to another one in order to gain a bit of space from her sister.

Sabrina silently opened the door to her aunts’ room and could make out the form of her aunt laying under the blankets in a fetal position. She looked oddly vulnerable, but not nearly as vulnerable as she had when she was on the ground, crying for Sabrina to not leave. She wondered where Leticia was. Why was her crib not in Zelda’s room? Maybe she was in Hilda’s….

Sabrina stood next to her aunt and then decided to sit on the edge of the bed and wake her. She knew she would have a lot of explaining to do concerning not only her coming back, but her leaving and the things she said to her before she left. Especially the bit about Zelda being her mother. Taking the plunge and touching her aunt’s shoulder to wake her, she held her breath as her aunt stirred from her rest.

Her aunt rolled over towards Sabrina and opened her eyes, finally gazing her bleary eyes on Sabrina’s face. Her eyes welled up instantly, but she rolled back over and sobbed to herself. Sabrina was shocked and exclaimed, “Auntie, what’s the matter? I’ve missed you so much!” The muffled sobs from her aunt continued, but she could make out between gasping breaths, “I missed you so much. I still do. But you are not really here, just another dream…” With this, her aunt started sobbing even more, her body trembling with the force of her cries. Sabrina was starting to get hysterical, too. “Auntie, please, I am right here! Please!” Sabrina laid down next to her aunt, put her head on the pillow next to her, and draped her arm around her aunt’s convulsing form.

When Zelda felt the touch, the real-life touch, of Sabrina, she threw herself around in the bed to face Sabrina again. Watery eyes widening with the realization that Sabrina was actually there beside her again, a place she never should have left, she quickly sat up and pulled Sabrina into her arms, squeezing her so tightly Sabrina thought she would never let go of her again. She instantly felt her aunt’s tears on her neck where Zelda’s face was buried so deeply Sabrina didn’t know how she was able to breath. She was indeed gasping for air, but not because of her facial position. Sabrina hugged her aunt back equally as tight, with a few tears trickling down her cheeks as well. She tried to assure her aunt that she was really back, whispering her love and reassurances into her aunt’s ear whenever a particularly harsh sob left her lips.

After what seemed like forever but also no time at all, her aunt pulled back her face from Sabrina’s neck. Sabrina finally got a good look at her face. Below the swollen eyes and tears streaking her face, she noted that her aunt looked more tired and aged than she ever remembered her being. Did her being gone affect her that much?

“Sabrina, my darling girl. You’re back, you’re back, praise Satan you are back with us. Oh Sabrina, how could you ever think we would be alright without you? How could you ever think that Leticia could fill your place? It pains me to think that I did not tell you how much I loved you, that I did not tell you what you mean to me, enough so that you would never think of leaving, that you would never think we could somehow carry on with our lives with you not in it. Sabrina, I love you more than anything. I would do anything for you if you asked. You have to know that. I am so extatically happy that I got to tell you. I did not think I would…” At this, her aunt dissolved into sobs again and clutched at her again.

Sabrina, still choking back tears herself, spilled her thoughts to Zelda as well: “Auntie, I love you too. I meant what I said that night I left, about how I thought of you as my mother and that I didn’t mean what I said before. I told you then because I didn’t know if I would have the chance to again. I… I hope you can forgive me for leaving you. I know it was stupid, but I wanted to do something for you and Auntie Hilda by giving myself up instead of Leticia. I’ve been so selfish…”

“Oh Sabrina. We are all selfish in our own ways. I’m sorry that I made you feel isolated in that. And I will never be able to forgive myself for making you think that you needed to rectify yourself through sacrificing your happiness. But sweetheart, I cannot put into words how happy I am to have you back. You are the daughter I never had. You have been since you came here after your father died.”

They sat clutching one another for a number of minutes more before Zelda gasped. Sabrina, startled, pulled back and looked at her. Zelda, wide eyes, exclaimed, “Hilda! She doesn’t know you’re back yet! We need to go see her. Ambrose is out. He took your absence… hard. And instead of wallowing in grief like Hilda and I did, he’s been channeling his feelings through… other avenues. Particularly parties and that young warlock he has been associating with.”

Zelda pulled Sabrina out of bed with her and went down the hall to the other room where Hilda was now residing, having wanted a room apart from her sister’s. Zelda strided up to Hilda’s bed first, shaking her awake. Hilda groaned a little bit and said, “Zelds, what are you doing? Have you been crying? Oh Zelda I…” That’s when she noticed the other figure standing next to Zelda. “Sabrina?” Hilda whispered. Tears were instantly streaming down her face. “Sabrina!” Hilda sat up instantly and pulled Sabrina into the bed with her. Sabrina laughed a little bit as she toppled down next to Hilda, who held on to her so tightly Sabrina had to remind her of the fact that yes indeed, she did need air to breath.

“Sabrina, love, how did you come back to us?” Hilda tearfully inquired. Zelda added in as well from the side of the bed, “Yes Sabrina, I was curious as to that as well.” Sabrina explained everything that happened with Gryla and how she got to come back to her aunties. “Well praise Satan for Gryla having a bit of a heart, lamb. We will be forever grateful to her for that. Oh darling I love you so much. We have missed you so so much.” Her voice changed to a bit of a reprimanding one. “Sabrina how could you possibly think we would be better off without you? We never would have been able to get over it, love. You mean too much to us, even if Leticia had been taken away. You should’ve known better. But we are just so glad you’re home.” As Hilda pulled Sabrina into another hug on the bed, Sabrina thought to ask, “Wait, where is Leticia?”

At this question, Zelda sighed and explained: “Well Sabrina, when you left we were very… grieved, to say the least. So much so that we found ourselves unable to take care of a baby, as we were barely able to take care of ourselves. But…” Sabrina gasped, thinking it was her fault Leticia was gone, and began to speak but Zelda held up her hand to stop Sabrina from starting. “But, we would not have been able to keep her anyway. I gave her to Desmelda not long after you left. It would not be safe with all the havoc that happens around this place. She will be able to keep her safe. I will visit her, but she will just not be living with us anymore.”

Sabrina, surprised said, “Oh auntie, I am so sorry. I wish you would have been able to keep her.” There was a hint of sadness in Zelda’s face, but a smile crept on her face, overshadowing any lingering sadness at the thought of Leticia. “But Sabrina, you are back with us now and that is all that matters. Keeping Leticia would have never even come close to overriding the sadness of your absence. We never want you to think anything could.”

As Sabrina and Zelda smiled to each other, Sabrina motioned for Hilda to scoot over so that Zelda could sit on the other side of Sabrina. All three of them laid down, with Sabrina in the middle facing Zelda and Hilda at her back pressed up against her with her arm solidly trapping Sabrina beneath it. Zelda also put her arm around Sabrina and kissed her forehead, eyes glistening in happiness. They all fell asleep, nestled in the bed with nothing able to tear them apart, even if the Dark Lord rose up out of the bowels of hell to do so. Sabrina, feeling the warmth of her aunts on both sides of her and the love that was radiating from them both, fell asleep more contented than she had since she left.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me what you thought, leave a kudos, or just enjoy your read!


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